COLUMBUS SCHOOL OF FABRICATION​

 

LOCATION

1123 BROADWAY, COLUMBUS, GA 31901

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PROGRAM

EDUCATIONAL

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SIZE

​42,000 SF​

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YEAR

2026

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LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, THE SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FABRICATION SERVES AS AN EXTENSION OF COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY’S EXPANDING URBAN CAMPUS. THE PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER CLASSROOMS, FABRICATION LABS, REVIEW SPACES, GALLERIES, OFFICES, AND WORKSHOPS WITHIN A VERTICALLY ORGANIZED MASS TIMBER STRUCTURE.

 

THE BUILDING IS ORGANIZED THROUGH THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TWO SYSTEMS: A REGULAR STRUCTURAL GRID AND A SERIES OF ROTATED VERTICAL CORES. WHILE THE GLULAM COLUMN GRID ESTABLISHES ORDER AND REPETITION ACROSS THE FLOOR PLATES, THE ELEVATOR, STAIR, AND SERVICE CORES ROTATE INDEPENDENTLY AS FIXED VERTICAL ELEMENTS THAT MOVE THROUGH THE BUILDING UNINTERRUPTED.

 

FLOOR PLATES SHIFT AND CANTILEVER AROUND THESE CORES TO CREATE DOUBLE AND TRIPLE HEIGHT SPACES THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. THESE SHIFTS PRODUCE CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FLOORS, ALLOWING VIEWS INTO FABRICATION SPACES, STUDIOS, AND CIRCULATION AREAS WHILE CREATING MOMENTS OF OPENNESS ACROSS THE BUILDING.

 

THE STRUCTURE IS COMPOSED OF GLULAM COLUMNS AND BEAMS WITH CLT FLOOR SLABS. ALONG THE PERIMETER, HIGH PERFORMANCE TINTED GLAZING ENCLOSES THE BUILDING AND EMPHASIZES THE HORIZONTAL READING OF THE FLOOR PLATES AND STRUCTURAL SYSTEM. INTERIOR SPACES REMAIN LARGELY OPEN AND FLEXIBLE, ALLOWING PROGRAMS TO CHANGE OVER TIME WITHOUT ALTERING THE OVERALL ORGANIZATION OF THE BUILDING.

 

THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON THE TENSION BETWEEN STABLE VERTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SHIFTING HORIZONTAL OCCUPATION. THROUGH THE INTERACTION OF STRUCTURE, CIRCULATION, AND OPEN FLOOR PLATES, THE BUILDING CREATES A FRAMEWORK FOR COLLABORATION, FABRICATION, AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY’S NEW DOWNTOWN CAMPUS.